Buckle.



No 897,360. PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1908. N FEIN BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 4, 190a.

INVENTOR WITNESSES erosion NATHAN FEIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUCKLE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN Finn, residing at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specification. 7

This invention relates broadly to devices adapted for fastening together straps of fabrics or analogous material, and more particularly to buckles.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved buckle of simple construction. adapted for employment in various relations but more especially ltlz'UQlQOil to be used for fastening together the straps of leggings. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, c mbination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction herein described. and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing wherein is illustrated. one of the various possible embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view thereof, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 22 Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line 3 3 Fig. 1 and F 4 is a top plan view showing the buckle in operative relation with a strap.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, 1 indicates the frame of the buckle which, in the present instance, is comprised by a strip of metal bent into a substantially rectangular form. The ends of this strip of-metal terminate in the rear member 2 of the frame, said rear member 2 being adapted to have fastened thereabout the end of a strap 3 of flexible material such as shown in Fig. 4.

Frame 1 is provided with a transversely extending member or cross bar 4, which is secured to oppositely disposed portions of the side members 5 and 6 thereof. Upon cross bar 4 is pivoted strip of metal 7 which forms the tongue of the buckle. In the present instance tongue 7 is of a width substantially co-extensive with the width of the space provided between the side members 5 and 6 of the buckle and is adapted, when in operative engagement with a strap to lie Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 4, 1908.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

Serial No. 419,152.

between said side members. Tongue 7 is provided at its free end with a plurality of upwardly inclined teeth 8 which are disposed adjacent the end member 5) of the frame, as shown in ilg. 2 of the drawing, a space being formed between end member 9 of the frame and said tongue for receiving a strap 10 as shown in Fig. 4.

Formed integrally with tongue 7 and depending tl'ierefmm, in the present instance, are a pair of spring cars 11 and, 12 respectively. These ears are adapted to form an impositive engagement with the inner surfaces of the side members of the frame as clearly shmvn in Fig. 3 of the drawing, such engagement operating to hold tongue 7 in position when the same is engaged with a strap, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. Tongue 7 is also provided, in the present instance, with a plurality of lateral cars 13 and respectively, which extend over the side members 5 and 6 of the frame and lie in engagement therewith when tongue 7, is in operative engagement with a strap. These ears also form a means for limiting the extent of the downward swing of the tongue with respect to the frame, whereby the former is always located above the frame and in such position as will enable it to be readily swung into engagement with a strap.

Having thus described the construction of this embodiment of my invention, the manner of using the same which should be largely obvious is substantially as follows: The end of strap 3 which it is desired. to hold in fixed relation with strap 10 is passed underneath the end member 9 of the frame and then upwardly between said end member and the upwardly inclined teeth of tongue 7. The strap is then pulled to provide the desired degree of tension whereby the tongue Will fall by gravity into engagement therewith or it may be pressed against said strap by the finger, so that upon releasement of the stress which has been exerted upon the free end thereof to tighten the same, the ends of the teeth will be pro jected against the strap in a manner that will be readily understood. When the tongue is in engagement with the strap as shown in Fig. 4, it lies substantially between the side members 5 and 6 of the buckle with the spring cars 13 and 14 in engagement with the inner surfaces of the said members as has.

been above explained. When it is desired to release the strap from the bight of the teeth formed upon the tongue such operation may be conveniently effected by merely grasping and lifting either of the lateral ears 13 or 14 whereby the tongue may be swung upwardly to carry the teeth from engagement with the strap.

It will accordingly be seen that I have provided a construction well adapted to attain, among others, all the ends and objects above pointed out in a simple yet effective manner. The parts of the buckle are so disposed. that the tongue may be conveniently swung from engagement with a strap and without grasping the end of the strap. It is moreover unnecessary for the user to insert his fingers beneath the buckle in order to lift the tongue to inoperative position. The depending spring ears aid in holding the tongue into engagement with the strap yet their engagement with the side walls of the frame does not interfere with a convenient and ready disengagei'nent of the tongue from the strap. The buckle is moreover, neat in appearance and has no extending parts which would be liable to come in contact with or catch exterior objects when the buckle is employed on a legging with which the same is particularly adapted to be employed.

As many changes within. the scope of the claims could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, a frame having a cross bar, a tongue pivotally mounted on said cross bar and having a width substantially co-extensive with the width of said frame and adapted when in engagement with a strap to lie between the side members thereof, said tongue having teeth disposed adjacent an end member of said frame, a spring member formed upon said tongue adapted to engage with the inner surface of said frame, whereby the tongue will be maintained in engagement with the strap, and an ear extending laterally from said tongue and across a side member of said frame which operates to limit the downward swinging movement of said tongue, said. ear also forming a means which may be grasped when it is desired to lift the tongue from engagement with the strap.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a frame provided with a bar which extends transversely thereacross and is connected with the side members thereof, a tongue comprising a strip of metal pivotally mounted upon said transversely extending member and adapted when in operative position, to lie between the side members of said frame, said tongue at its free end being provided. with a plurality of upwardly inclined teeth which terminate adjacent an end member of said frame slightly above the same, a pair of oppositely disposed spring ears provided upon said tongue, which are adapted to engage the inner surfaces of the side members of said frame, and by such engagement to hold said tongueinoperative position when the latter is in engagement with a strap, and a plurality of lateral ears which extend across the side members of the frame, said ears forming a means for limiting the downward swinging movement of said tongue with respect to said frame, andalso providing a means by which the tongue may be swung upwardly from engagement with the strap.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

NATHAN FEIN.

Witnesses:

O. H. WrLsoN, I. HOFFENBERG. 

